Count the Saints
by Cinnamon Silver Tiger
Summary: Excerpt from Moon Shines Red. One-shot to the song Count the Saints by Foxes. The last night they get to spend together in the Astronomy Tower. Set the night Dumbledore dies in HBP. HGDM


**Author's Note:** Hello all! Been a long…long…looooong time since I've seen all you're smiling faces! I found myself watching a Harry Potter marathon a few weeks ago, which of course prompted me to spend countless hours reading Draco/Hermione fanfiction, which in turn got me to thinking that it might be fun to try writing again. I was content for a few weeks simply reading stories and then I heard this song; this amazing amazing song by Foxes called Count the Saints and all I could think about was how perfect it was for an idea I had circling my brain for a good one-shot song fic. I'm usually not a fan of either, one-shots or song fics, there is literally nothing I hate more than getting captivated by a story only to find out there is only one chapter and no prequel or sequel to follow despite raving fans, countless requests and literally thousands of reviews likes and follows. **I strongly urge you to listen to this song as you're reading.** I will not post the lyrics in between paragraphs because let's face it, if you guys are like me you skip them anyways.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter J.K. Rowling does…I also do not own the song Count the Saints by Foxes.

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Draco stared at her from across the Astronomy Tower. Tears were streaming down her face silently as she just stared at him for what seemed eternity but he knew better. He knew they only had mere minutes before Hell would descend upon Hogwarts. All because of him, all because he was a coward. He wanted desperately to shut his eyes and apparate anywhere with her, anywhere but where they were. He couldn't believe out of anyone in the entire school it was her that was standing across from him. Her that he felt so ashamed in front of, that he felt like tossing the remains of his stomach over. He was supposed to hate her, he was supposed to be above her in every way imaginable, but somehow someway over the last few months she had become his solace in the storm that was his life. He fought with everything he had in him, harder than he had fought anyone or anything against her but in the end she had won. Just like she always did. Just like he hoped she always would.

"Draco please…you can change everything." She finally whispered across the room, her voice caressing him like a cashmere blanket that he wanted to wrap himself up in to fend off the cold crisp air. The stars were shining brightly tonight, as if to lend her strength through their hopeful gaze.

"You know I can't do that. He'll kill me…kill her." He couldn't bear to watch the sympathy spread across her face, her honey brown eyes glistening with tears but more than that pain; pain she felt for him, pain she felt because of him. He never wanted to be the cause of her pain again. Not since all those months ago when she caught him in a moment of weakness right here in the Astronomy Tower. He had expected her to sneer and take a stab at him with her clever words, instead she had walked over to him and carefully placed a tiny hand on his shoulder. She had stayed with him the entire night, no words were spoken between them, and in the morning he awoke to find her gone and him covered with a soft green blanket that must have had a heating charm on it cause he was unusually warm for sleeping in the tower all night. Ever since then he couldn't bare to call her names or make fun of her in class for always having the right answer, and he knew her answers were always right.

"We can save her Draco. The Order can protect her if she would only leave-"

"No! Don't you see? Don't you understand what's at stake here?! If I do anything to upset him he will punish her to punish me before killing us both. If she does anything to upset anyone….I can't put her in that position. You don't know what you're asking me."

"I do! I do know what I'm asking you! I'm asking you to save yourself and your mother. I'm asking you to not become someone I _know_ you aren't Draco."

 _But I am_. He thought. The Dark Mark itched on his forearm. He'd kept it secret from her, used a concealing charm, but after tonight nothing would be a secret anymore.

"You don't know me. You don't know what I'm capable of."

"I know you Draco. I know you wouldn't hurt your mother, I also know you're capable of walking away and not hurting anyone else in the process. I know things have changed. I know you wouldn't hurt me." She trailed off softly, her eyes filled with hope that he would take her hand and everything would just be ok. But if she only knew, when she found out, he knew he would never see that look in her eyes again.

"I would hurt you. I will hurt you." He locked eyes with her, he had to stand his ground. He couldn't let her break him.

"No you won't." She started walking slowly towards him. "Stay with me. Fight with me. You're mother will see that you are happy and she will find a way out. Draco…please. I…I love you."

His blood ran cold as ice in his veins. She couldn't possibly. But here she was, standing in front of him reaching up to hold his face in her hands, telling him she did; and before he could stop himself he felt those walls breaking down and he took her in his arms.

"Run away with me." The words were out of his mouth before he could even think to stop them.

She went still in his arms and she gently shook her head. "You know I can't do that. I can't leave Harry here to fight alone. Ron, Ginny, I can't leave everyone here and run off like a-" She stopped herself before the next word could fall from her lips.

"A coward." He finished for her. He could never have gone through with it anyways, he didn't know why he even asked. They would find them. They being Deatheaters sent to kill them both or possibly worse, they being Potter and Weasley and who knows what would become of him then.

"I don't think you're a coward. I think you will be a fool if you go through with whatever it is Voldemort is planning. Whatever it is he is making you do."

She was fishing and he knew it. Harry had been suspicious of him all year. Since their night in the Tower he knew she had been telling Harry to back off and that he was being paranoid, that Draco wasn't up to anything. Little did she know…and she was about to find out. He hated himself for it.

"You ask me to give up everything for you, to fight for your side but you couldn't do the same for me." He settled for pushing her away, like he knew eventually he was going to have to do. He saw the hurt flash in her eyes, her mouth open as if to retaliate but no words came out.

"I have to go." His voiced laced with so much regret.

She clung to him throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. Holding back no tears, no emotion she cried for him to change his mind.

"I'm begging you Draco. Please don't do this. Dumbledore can help you! The Order can help you! I can explain everything to Harry and I know he will help you too!"

He stepped away from her prying her hands off of him, his arm throbbing. It was time for her to leave.

"No one can help me. It's too late for me. But it doesn't have to be for you. Go…find Potter…warn him." He had never felt more ashamed of himself than he did in that moment. That moment when realization dawned on her and spread across her features as she stepped back from him. She raised her hands to cover her mouth in shock.

"What did you do? Draco what did you do?!" She had never been more beautiful to him than in that moment. Fighting the urge between hitting him and holding him close not knowing if she would ever be able to again. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing for him, she knew there was no turning back know. Whatever Harry's suspicions had been he had been right the whole time. She felt used, betrayed, stupid for thinking that he would change for her. To be with her. Draco Malfoy change to be with Hermione Granger.

"Go." He urged. He had turned away from her to look out from the Tower. He couldn't bare to see her like this any longer knowing he was the cause of her pain.

She looked up at him lowering her hands from her eyes. She stopped crying and put on a straight face. She would go to Harry and tell him he had been right all along. When Harry asked how she knew or what had changed her mind she would tell him. She had stupidly fallen in love with a boy who could make no such promises to her. But she loved him with everything she had anyways and maybe, in his own way, he loved her too. She walked over to him and touched his shoulder. He stiffened at her touch and it saddened her that this is how it was going to end. She might have been stupid enough to fall in love with him but she wasn't stupid enough to think that it would have ever lasted. That no matter what side won that they would be allowed to be together. That he would even want to be.

"I know Draco." She whispered.

He hung his head and used every ounce of strength he had to not turn and wrap her in his arms. Tears stung his eyes and he fought not to wipe them away. He stood very still for what seemed like an eternity but he knew his mere minutes were up. The warmth from her hand barely lingering on his shoulder he finally turned around to the empty Tower and stared in the direction she had left.

"I love you." He whispered. Though she had said she knew he had never actually said it to her out loud. Now it was too late. He turned and hoped for the first time ever that Potter won this bloody battle. As he made his way to the Room of Requirement he hoped she survived what was to come, and hoped with everything he had that _he_ didn't.

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 **Author's Note:** I really hope you guys enjoyed. Hopefully it wasn't too rusty. I'm tossing around ideas for a prequel. A story with the events leading up to this night. I'm not sure yet. Let me know what you guys think.


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